The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-29

through the woods. He might possibly
reach home before the blackboard, and if he
did-Upjohn, that city popinjay whose
drawl exasperated him, should not touch
her hand as she alighted; neither snubs
nor snee-s could daunt him now. He was
tasting Joy for the first time in his harsh,
meager struggling life, and it intoxicated
him. He was in the highway new; another
shortcut across the fields and he would be
in advance of the blackboard.
"Sarmwell! Sarmwell! / know it hain't
| you, but how can head of hair be so ,;e-
ceivin'!r called an old and quavering voice
| The young man started from his joyful
reverie, and looked in perplexity at the owner
of the voce-a little old man whose appear
ance suggested that he had barely escaped
with his life and his bundle from great
| perils and vicssitudes. He would have been
fat little old man if nature had met with
the least encouragement in cushioning his
| bones, but, as it was, his flesh hung loosely
upon them like an ill-ftting garment, and
his double chin was so long and limp that it
was a sight to behold. From network of
deep lines his faded blue eyes looked out
with pathetically childlike expression.
| "'Eias Moody! is it really you2" exclaimed
| Pulsifer suddenly, the perplexity clearing
away from his face.
''Well, now, it is me, sure's you're born,
though it hadn't ought to be-" said the old
man, alphabetically. II hadn't ought to "a
come to this, but it beats all how luck does
drag you down, jest like an undertow, for
all your strugglin'. I've earned considerable,
first and last, though my tarlents didn't run
| to Study work, and it's terrible hard for a
man to change his material tarlents; but it's
Lon
mother, and here be- If 'twa'n't for g6sn'
| to the poorhouse it seems as if / could stan
it. But won't be burden on my poor lit
tie Mary Jane nohow. She never was
strong, Mary Jane want, and they say
she's worlSin' at the hotel and tryin' to save
up enough to put up u monument to me
in the graveyard. 1t would be better for
her and for me too if was layin' there. 1
thought 'twould be easier to come home,
but declare old friends look kind of slant
ways at me, jest like strangers, and seem
to be in a hurry fer fear should want
something of EN-"
The pathetic, hopeless tears of old age
rolled down his cheeks The young man
was prodding his oaken walking-sticl1 into
the earth as vigorously as if his life depend
ed upon his success. He was thinking of
Mary Jane Moody. His conscience re-
preached him for having almost forgotten
her existence. She waited on one Of the
tables in the dining-room of the Harbor
House-the table where the Collamore party
sat. He had only been anxious that they
should be well served; he had reproved
Mary Jane somewhat sharply when things
went wrong there. He had observed in the
early summer that she looked pale and worn;
since then he had not thought of her at all.
He would scarcely have expected her to
have so much filial devotion. His impress
sion was that Mary Jane wasvery light She
had once been pretty; how changed she
was! He recalled the time when, at the re-
spective ages of ten and six, he had firmly
| resolved and tenderly promised to marry
Mary Jane when they grew up. After that,
in the intervals of his long absence, they
had become, in his feeling at least, like
brother and sister, until of late he had be-
come altogether oblivious of her.
'Lias Moody had given him shelter and
food, and clothing when his own stores were
but scanty; but for him he must have gone
to the poor-house or been bound out in d
kind of slavery that was common at Hack
ett's Harbor. He had believed him to be
dead; such report had come from Cali
fornia, where 'Lias had gone to seek his
fortune, and had felt a regret that he
should never be able to make any return for
the kindness shown him. But now-old
'Lias had returned 50 inopportunelyl He
had broken in upon his exultant mood like a
ghost at a banquet. For, although he was
so meek and apologize, the young man felt
himself arraigned for his neglect of Mary
Jane AS far as his material debt was con-
cerned, he might be considered to have
paid that in the presents he had made Mary
Jane. His first earnings had been devoted
to that purpose. Many time he had de-
MED himself almost the necessaries of life
to send her dress, or pair of gloves or a
ribbon. Naturally that custom had fallen
into disuse. Mary Jane could take care of
herself now, and probably would not wish
to accept presents from him. AS for the
old mans forlorn condition, it was only the
natural result of his weak and reckless
reliance upon luck. Such course aroused
wondering contempt in Pulsifer's prudent
mind. He held a theory that it was never
proper to help such people.
There was a sound Of gay voices and
laughter. Ahead of him, at "A bend in the
road, he saw the blackboard, which had
just reached the highway from side road
There were the shining golden braids again :;
Inelf owner turned her mead turtlVely
around Us il in search of some one.
81 must co. said Pulsifer, hastily, look
ing at his watch. II ought to be at the
hotel now. IL shall see you again"
"Jest like all of em. He was in hurry
for fear should want something of him, :"
said the old man to himself, with bitter
patience.
Pulsifer followed the golden braids, but
Mary Jane and her father would not be
banished from his mind. He looked at her
from a new point of view that night. She
had yellow hair, but there was no gold in it,
and it was strained back from her face in
an uncaredfor and unbecoming way. Her
face was thin and sallow, and her figure
harsh, with angles where curves SHOULD
have been. How long had she looked like
this, and what had changed her so. She
must have been obliged to work hard, and
he knew that she had never been strong
he knew, but he had forgotten. He could
not forget now, although he took Miss
Seraph Collamore out rowing that evening
alone for the first time, the arrangement
having been effected by dainty maneuver
of the young lady's, by which she outwitted
the aunt and the portly matron, who had
instilled suspicion into the single, scientific
mind of the aunt
The breeze was soft and perfumed and
the moonlight tender: the Young lady was